The Society of Saint Gregory the Great is a membership association of Catholic laity formed in 2008 to promote divine worship in accordance with the Supreme Magisterium of the Church. The Society has its own schola cantorum, and regularly sponsors presentations and workshops on the Sacred Liturgy, Gregorian chant, and sacred polyphony.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Latin Lesson VI

This week the lesson will cover the three most common
ordinary chants of the Mass – the Kyrie, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. Even in the
Novus Ordo these chants can be sung in Latin and are being done that way in
many parishes. With the new translation, the English is a much more faithful
rendering of the original language. There are several simplified chants available
for both Latin and English versions.

The Kyrie, of course, is not Latin, but Greek. However, the
pronunciation rules given earlier apply to this prayer as well. The following
texts will be supplied without phonetic markings this time to test how much
readers can do on their own. If anyone is really uncertain of how to pronounce
any of the words, he can refer to the first two lessons and check against the
rules given there.

Kyrie
eleison.

Christe,
eleison.

Kyrie
eleison.

[Each line is said three times in an EF Mass;

twice in the ordinary form.]

Sanctus,
Sanctus, Sanctus,

Dominus
Deus sabaoth.

Pleni
sunt coeli et terra; Gloria tua.

Hosanna
in excelsis.

Benedictus
qui venit in nomine domini;

hosanna
in excelsis.

Agnus
Dei, qui
tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus
Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus
Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

(remember how “gn” sounds in Latin)

Next time: The Credo in
Latin and English.

Here are some resources for anyone who would like to pursue
church Latin further. All books are
available at Amazon.com.

Scanlon, Cora and Charles,
Latin Grammar for the Reading of the Missal and Breviary, TAN Books,
Charlotte, N.C.

Collins, John F., A
Primer of Ecclesiastical Latin, The Catholic University of America Press.